Car-coupling



'NdMdeLj y J. H. SBNGER'."

CAR GOUPLING.

No. 551,593. Patented-D50, 17, 15895.

. longitudinal sectional view of the same.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEETCE.

JOHN H. SENGER, OF CERRO GORDO, ILLINOIS.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 551,693, dated December1'7, 1895.

` Application filed August 28, 1895. Serial No. 560,812. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.:

Be it known that l, JOHN H. SENGER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cerro Gordo, in the county of Piatt and State of Illinois,have invented a new and useful Car- Coupling, of which the following isa specification.

The invention relates to improvements in car-couplings.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction ofcar-couplings, and to provide one capable of coupling automatically,andadapted to guide a link into the draw-head which receives it to avoidgoing between cars.

A further object of the invention is to enable the car-coupling to beuncoupled from the top and sides of a car, and to effect such uncouplingwhen a car is in motion to make what is known as a flying switch.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure l is aperspective View of a car-couplingconstructed in accordance with this invention, the parts being arrangedto receive and guide a wing into engagement with the draw-head. Fig. 2is a Fig. 3 is a side elevation illustrating the manner of supporting alink. Fig. 4 is a transverse Y. sectional view of the same.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the draw.- ings.

l designates a draw-head, having near its front or outer end atransverse opening 2 to receive and engage a link 3, and provided with alongitudinal recess 4, in which is pivotally mounted a link guide andcarrier 4*. The link guide or carrier is mounted on a transverse pivot 5near the end of the draw-head, and consists of a substantiallytriangular portion 6, having a rounded butt or base 7, and adapted whenthrown forward, as illustrated in Fig. l of the accompanying drawings,to project beyond .the draw-head and provide an inclined face or way, upwhich the link is adapted to ride. At the upper extremity of theinclined face '7 is arranged an arm 8, projecting forward from the linkguide and earrier, when the latter is in operative position, and adaptedto have the link abut against it, whereby the link causes the guide andcarrier to swing rearward and to conduct it into the link-receivingopening 2. Vhen the link is in engagement with the draw-head, asillustrated in Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings, it pulls against thedraw-head at the front side of the opening 2, and the guide and carrier4a does not receive any of the strain incident to drawing a train ofcars.

The operation of uncoupling is performed by swinging the link guide andcarrier forward from the position illustrated in Fig. 3 of theaccompanying drawings to that shown in Fig. l, which movement carriesthe link out of the opening 2 and conveys it clear of the draw-head.This swinging movement of the link guide and carrier may be accomplishedby any suitable mechanism, and, as illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, a chain 9 is preferably attached to the butt or base of thelink guide Aandcarrier and is arranged on the rounded edge of the saine,the link guide and carrier being grooved at that part for the receptionof the chain. The chain then extends inward or rearward in the recess 4,and passes upward through an opening in the top of the draw-head, and isconnected with the operating mechanism consisting preferably of abell-crank lever l0, fulcrumed on the car ll and having handlerods l2y,and l3, connected to its inner and outer ends. The rod l27 which isconnected to the inner end of the bell-crank lever, eX- tends to the'topof the car and it is disposed substantially vertically, and the otherrod 13 is arranged horizontally and extends to one side of the car. Thisconstruction enables the operation of uncoupling to be performed fromthe top and sides of the car, or any other desired uncoupling mechanismmay be employed.

The link 3 is maintained in substantially a horizontal positionpreparatory to automatic coupling by a link-support 14, comprising apair of supporting-blocks, located at the sides of the draw-head inadvance of the opening 3, and pivoted to the draw-head bya transversepin l5. The blocks of the link-support are tapering or substantiallytriangular, being in- IOO verted and extending upward from thetransverse pin, and an operating-chain 1G is connected beyond the pin 15with the smaller end of one of the blocks, and is adapted to swing thelarger end upward and forward beneath the link. Then the link-support isnot in use the blocks lie in substantially a horizontal position,extending inward from the transverse pin 15, and their upward swing islimited by a fastening device 17, projecting inward from the inner faceof each bleek and arranged in a curved groove 18. The groove preventsthe blocks from swinging upward and assuming a horizontal position,whereby when the link is lifted from the blocks the support will swingbackward te its initial position.

The link-support is operated from the top and sides of a car by means ofrods 19 and 20, connected with the ends of a bell-crank lever l,which isfulcrumed at its angle on the car and which has its inner end attachedto the operating-chain 1G, suitable guides being provided for thelatter, which extends along the draw-head and upward on the same.

It will be seen that the car-coupling is simple and comparativelyinexpensive in construction, that it is positive and reliable inoperation, and that it is capa-ble of coupling automatically and ofreceiving and guidinga link into engagement with it. It will also beapparent that it may be readily uncoupled from the top and sides of acar, and that the operation of uneoupling may be performed when cars arein motion, to make what is known as a flying switch.77

Changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of constructionmaybe resorted to without departing from the principle or sacriiicingany of the advantages of this invcntion.

lVhat I claim is- 1. In a car coupling, the combination of a draw-headprovided with a transverse link rcceiving opening, and a link guide andcarrier fulcrumed on the draw-head in advance of the opening, and havingan inclined edge to receive and guide a link, and provided at the innerextremity thereof with an arm adapted to be engaged by the link,substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a oar eouplin g, the combination of a draw-head having atransverse link receivin opening, a link guide and carrier fulcrumed onthe draw-head, `and consist-ing of a substantiallytriangular portionhaving a rounded hase, and an arm projecting from the base and adaptedto be engaged byalink, and operating mechanism having a chain arrangedon the rounded portion or base of the link guide and carrier,substantially as described.

In a car coupling, the combination of a draw-head provided with atransverse linkreceiving opening and having at opposite sides curvedgrooves 18, a link, a transverse pin passing through the draw-head, apair of blocks located at opposite sides of the drawhead and mounted onthe ends of said pin and adapted to be swung upward beneath the l ink,projections arranged at the inner faces of the blocks and cxtendingintothe grooves 18 and limiting the swing of the blocks, whereby the latterare caused to fall automatically, and means for swinging the blocksupward, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy si gnature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN 1I. SENGER.

IVitnesses:

DANIEL S. IIOFFERT, W. A. FLECK.

